Tourism - Point Arena - Mendocino County - Cities

Point Arena High Lights

Point Arena is a growing, vibrant and diverse town that is worth your time to visit. The Point Arena Merchants Association (PAMA) offers a comprehensive map of Point Arena’s many restaurants, shops, markets, attractions, entertainment venues, services and more. Be sure to stop and explore Point Arena as part of your trip to or from the Lighthouse!

  • Unbeaten Path Hiking Tours
  • Consider participating on a guided hike with Unbeaten Path Hiking Tours. Margaret Lindgren offers a variety of packages including a combination hike and lighthouse tour designed to give tour-goers a real sense of the history of this incredible area. To quote Unbeaten Path Hiking Tours: “Each Unbeaten Path tour is guided by a conscientious and knowledgeable guide with the opportunity for great photos, wonderful conversation, insight and, most importantly, priceless memories. If you are looking for an experience that is personalized, comfortable and relaxing then Unbeaten Path is for you!”

    The area also offers unique destinations such as Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, and Bowling Ball Beach just south of Point Arena. Both locations host stunning sights rarely found elsewhere in the world.

  • Point Arena Lighthouse and Museum
  • Point Arena Light is a lighthouse in Mendocino County, California, United States, two miles (3 km) north of Point Arena, California. It is located approximately 130 miles (210 km) north of San Francisco in the Fort Point Group of lighthouses. The lighthouse features a small museum and giftshop. Guided tours of the light station as well as self-guided tours of the grounds are available daily.

  • Schooner Gulch State Beach
  • Schooner Gulch is a small, pleasant beach with tide pools and interesting rock formations. Its neighbor, Bowling Ball Beach, draws much more attention because of the rows of spherical rock balls visible at low tide and other interesting geologic formations.

    Parking is found along the southbound side of Highway 1 at Schooner Gulch Road. Because of a blind curve coming from the north, drivers should plan to approach the parking area from the north and exit to the south. Another parking area is slightly south of Schooner Gulch.

  • Garcia River Casino
  • We have a great mix of Classic Reel Games and the Newest Video Slots! At the Garcia River Casino, we have the latest and greatest in new and progressive slots, plus a wide selection of favorite classics. Whether it's penny, nickel, quarter or dollar slots, we have the right game for you, including some of the hottest mega-jackpots games in the country, like Wheel of Fortune®, Megabucks® and much more! You’ll be sure to find your lucky machine at Garcia River Casino!

  • River Grill
  • The River Grill at Garcia River Casino is the place to eat in Point Arena! Enjoy yummy breakfasts, tasty lunches and nightly dinner specials to satisfy your taste buds. Join the gang at the bar, sip on the best regional wines and microbrews, and never miss a beat of your favorite sports on our big screen TVs!

    Open at 9AM daily. Phone Orders, Reservations and Catering: (707) 467-5320. Minors are welcome in the River Grill before 9PM and must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

  • Point Arena Pier
  • The pier sits in the Point Arena cove. Point Arena itself juts out to the west (and is in fact the closest point in the continental United States to Hawaii). The old wooden pier, destroyed during the winter of 1982-'83, was replaced with a spiffy 322-foot-long steel and concrete deal with a boat launch and hoist. Offshore is some of the world's deepest waters in the Mendocino Trench; and the underwater Arena Canyon and Navarro Canyon begin directly out from the Point. The cove itself is 20-100 feet deep, sits southeast of the point and is protected somewhat from northwest winds and storms. The entire cove has a rocky bottom with no sand or gravel, a small stream runs into the ocean to the left of the pier, and there are reefs to both the south and north of the pier.

Mendocino County High Lights

  • Kelley House Museum
  • The Kelley House is a house museum in the heart of the historic district of Mendocino, California, a picturesque town of 1,000 people on the Northern California coast. The Kelley House Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, protect and share the rich history of the Mendocino Coast. Founded in 1973, it serves its mission as a learning center that provides access to thousands of artifacts, photographs and documents. It houses the only museum-quality storage and research facility open to visitors on the Mendocino California Coast. Open: Fri-Mon, 11am-3pm Location: 45007 Albion Street Mendocino, CA 95460.

  • Skunk Train
  • In Fort Bragg find the famous Skunk Train, a must-do for train enthusiasts and families. North Coast Segway offers effortless and scenic tours along the Fort Bragg coastline, coupled with environmental education about the coast and its diverse wildlife. Also popular with families is the B. Bryan Preserve, Point Arena’s own wildlife preserve offering animal feedings and guided tours of the grounds where they have been breeding and preserving African hoof Stock for over a decade. For those who can’t get enough of the hoof, consider beach-by-horseback with Ross Ranch Horseback Tours.

    Pudding Creek Express (January 1, 2018 through November 30, 2018 and December 26, 2018 through January 1, 2019)

    Departing from Fort Bragg your train will travel along the Pudding Creek Estuary to Glen Blair Junction on this short and scenic 1-hour, 7-mile roundtrip. You will be traveling over some of the first tracks laid down by the California Western Railroad in 1885. Once the train stops it will immediately return to Fort Bragg.

    Adult: $25 (Ages 13 and up); Child: $15 (Ages 2-12); Infant: $10 (Under the age of 2); Dog: $10 Northspur Flyer (January 1, 2018 through November 30, 2018 and December 26, 2018 through January 1, 2019)

    Departing from Willits and traveling to Northspur, your train will climb the Eastern slope of the Coastal Mountain Range and cut through it at Tunnel #2 (the Summit) before descending down into the redwood-thick Noyo River Canyon. This 4-hour, 40-mile roundtrip allows you to explore the wondrous forest where the world’s tallest trees take you back in time. Once you arrive at Northspur, the midpoint of the railroad, you will disembark for an opportunity to walk around and breathe the pristine mountain air.

    Northspur Flyer Travel Advisory: We look forward to seeing you, we are inviting you to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy during your layover in Northspur, there is currently no food vendor at Northspur. There is a concession on the train with snack and beverages including a full bar. Passengers are not permitted to carry on or transport alcohol on the trains.

    Adult: $84 (Ages 13 and up); Child: $42 (Ages 2-12); Infant: $10 (Under the age of 2); Dog: $10

  • Point Arena Bryan Preserve
  • B Bryan Preserve has been actively committed to the breeding and preservation of African hoof Stock for over a decade. Now located in Point Arena, California, our animals range from critically endangered to endangered and include various species of zebra, giraffe, and antelope. Not a zoo, but a private preserve housing majestic African animals in large open fields.

    Billing Statements

Local Cities In Mendocino County & a Few Overviews of Some Cities

Mendocino Fort Bragg, California Ukiah Willits Little River
Gualala Point Arena Redwood Valley Westport, California Laytonville
Boonville Hopland Albion Leggett Manchester, California
Covelo Philo Potter Valley Cleone, California Calpella
Comptche Brooktrails, California Caspar Cleone, California Talmage
  • Point Arena
  • Point Arena (formerly, Punta Arenas and Puntas Arenas) is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Point Arena is located 32 miles (51 km) west of Hopland, at an elevation of 118 feet (36 m). The population was 449 at the 2010 census, down from 474 at the 2000 census, making it one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state. Its main street comprises part of State Route 1, California's coastal artery. Along with a number of other Mendocino County coastal communities, Point Arena is associated with the hippie and subsequent counterculture groups. Reportedly, the economy is largely geared toward servicing the summertime tourist industry. The city is near the headquarters of the tribal lands of Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria and adjacent to the recently formed Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands National Monument. Hiking trails with coastal prairie and ocean views can be accessed at the Point Arena City Hall. At Arena Cove and pier, huge ocean front bluffs show the power of the interface of tectonic plates.

    The city itself is built around a small natural cove, used as a harbor, and is located about a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the actual Arena Point, a narrow peninsula jutting around 0.3 miles (0.48 km) into the Pacific Ocean. This is the location of the Point Arena Lighthouse, at 115 feet (35 m) the tallest lighthouse on the West coast of the United States. The lighthouse is also the closest location on the mainland (excluding Alaska) to Honolulu, Hawaii at a distance of 2,353 miles (3,787 km).

    The Point Arena State Marine Reserve & Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area are two marine protected areas that extend offshore from Point Arena. Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area and Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area lie south of Point Arena. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

  • Fort Bragg
  • Fort Bragg is a coastal city along State Route 1 in Mendocino County, California. It is 24 miles (39 km) west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet (26 m).[3] A California Historical Landmark, the city was founded, prior to the American Civil War, as a military garrison rather than a fortification. Fort Bragg is a tourist destination because of its picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean. Its population was 7,273 at the 2010 census.

    In 1855, an exploration party from the Bureau of Indian Affairs visited the area looking for a site on which to establish a reservation; in the spring of 1856, the Mendocino Indian Reservation was established at Noyo. It was 25,000 acres (100 km2), and its boundary extended north from what is now Simpson Lane to Abalobadiah Creek and east from the Pacific Ocean to Bald Hill.

    The last remaining building of the Fort Bragg military post is located at 430 North Franklin Street. It may have been the Quartermaster's storehouse and commissary or surgeon's quarters or hospital. The approximate boundaries of the fort extend from the south side of Laurel, east from the railroad depot to the alley behind Franklin, down the alley to a point 100 feet (30 m) south of Redwood Avenue, west on Redwood to just beyond the Georgia-Pacific Corporation company offices, then north to connect with the Laurel Street border at the railroad station.

    The Union Lumber Company was incorporated in 1891 by absorbing some of the smaller lumber companies in the area. Some of the new company lands were in the Noyo River watershed east of town making removal of logs difficult by rail, unless a tunnel was built. Johnson hired experienced Chinese tunnel builders from San Francisco. After completion of the tunnel, most of the Chinese settled in Fort Bragg and Mendocino. A six-walled Chinese town was built at Redwood and McPherson. Older residents say that eventually most of the Chinese children moved elsewhere.

    In 1901 the Union Lumber Company incorporated the National Steamship Company to carry lumber, passengers and supplies. The only link to manufactured creature comforts and staples like sugar and coffee were delivered by steamship. In 1905, the California Western Railroad and Navigation Company was established and plans were pushed to get the rail line all the way to Willits, where train connections to the Northwestern Pacific would link to San Francisco.

    The 1906 earthquake resulted in a fire that threatened the saw mill and the city. Within the town itself, all brick buildings were damaged. Only two were not destroyed completely. Many frame houses were knocked off their piers. The fire downtown burned the entire block bordered by Franklin, Redwood and McPherson Streets, plus the west side of Franklin. The west Franklin block burned down to approximately one half a block beyond the intersection of Redwood and Franklin.

    Within 12 months following the earthquake, most downtown reconstruction was completed. Coincidentally, the earthquake brought real prosperity to Fort Bragg as the mills furnished lumber to rebuild San Francisco, and the lumber ships returning from San Francisco were ballasted with bricks used for rebuilding Fort Bragg. With the new prosperity, the rail line to Willits was completed and in 1912 the first tourists came to Fort Bragg. By 1916 Fort Bragg had become a popular place to visit—and to settle.

  • Willits
  • Willits (formerly Little Lake and Willitsville) is a city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Willits is located 20 miles (32 km) north-northwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 1391 feet (424 m). The population was 4,888 at the 2010 census, down from 5,073 at the 2000 census. Willits is at the center of Mendocino County and at the beginning of the county's extensive redwood forests as approached by Highway 101 from the south.

    An arch donated to the city by Reno, Nevada in 1995 stands in the center of town. The Arch is the repurposed second version of the Reno Arch, from which the City of Willits removed most of the original plastic panels and of which it replaced the star with the flag of the United States and the slogan of Reno with its own slogans "Gateway to the Redwoods" and "Heart of Mendocino County". It now straddles U.S. Route 101 in downtown Willits.

    The Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California is headquartered in Willits.

    Little Lake was the scene of a legendary family feud between the Frost and Coates families. The Frost family supported the South during the war, and the Coates family supported the Union. Both families were passionate in their beliefs. On October 16, 1867, Election Day, the long-running feud came to a head. A brawl turned into a shootout in front of Baechtel’s store, leaving Abraham Coates, Henry Coates, Albert Coates, Thomas Coates and Elisha Frost dead on the street. Three others were wounded.

    The Willits area is the final home of the racehorse Seabiscuit. Ridgewood Ranch, where Seabiscuit trained, recuperated, lived out his retirement and was buried, is located a few miles south of the city.

  • Manchester
  • Manchester is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Point Arena, at an elevation of 85 feet (26 m). The population was 195 at the 2010 census.

  • Gualala
  • Gualala (formerly, Guadala, Walhalla, and Wallala) is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County in the U.S. state of California. It is located north of The Sea Ranch and south of Point Arena, California. Gualala shares its southern border with the southern border of Mendocino County. It is located on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Gualala River, on State Route 1. It serves as a commercial center for the surrounding area. Gualala was once a logging town, but tourism is now its central economic activity. "Gualala" was the name given to the site of today's Gualala by the Pomo who had named the area ah kha wa la lee, meaning "coming down water place"

    About 1861 tourists began coming to Gualala to hunt and fish and get away from the crowded cities. Around that same time Cyrus Robinson filed a homestead for all of the area which is now Gualala where they built a hotel, a saloon and a ferry. They also supervised the Post Office (which was also the stage stop), the Wells Fargo Express and the Western Union. By the end of the 1800s Gualala had become a major commercial hub for the entire area with a dancing school, the Gualala Municipal Brass Band, and an Opera House.

    In 1902, Elizabeth Robinson, Cyrus' wife, died; and their hotel burned down in a fire the following year. The hotel was later rebuilt to the south of where it had originally been at a cost of $6,000.

    In 1907, Mark Pedotti and Antonio Ciapusci bought the Gualala Hotel property which included 636 acres and among them they divided the property with Antonio acquiring the area of Gualala who later died in 1932. His son George and wife, Ida inherited the land after his death.

    Today tourists come to nearby Sea Ranch, California for which Gualala is providing tourist and commercial services.

  • Sea Ranch
  • The Sea Ranch is a planned unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Sonoma County, California, United States. It is a popular vacation spot. The community's development played a role in the establishment of the California Coastal Commission. The population was 1,305 at the 2010 census.

    The Sea Ranch is located along the Pacific Coast, about 100 mi (160 km) north of San Francisco and 120 mi (190 km) west of Sacramento. The Sea Ranch is reached by way of State Route 1.

    About 4 mi (6 km) northwest of The Sea Ranch is Gualala, a small town which supports and is in turn supported by Sea Ranch.

    According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 16.2 square miles (41.9 km²), 99.74% of it land and 0.26% of it water.

  • Timber Grove
  • Timber Cove is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California. Timber Cove sits at an elevation of 554 feet (169 m). The 2010 United States census reported Timber Cove's population was 164.

    The 2010 United States Census reported that Timber Cove had a population of 164. The population density was 29.0 people per square mile (11.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.7% White, 0.6% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.7% Asian, and 2.4% from two or more races. 5.5% of the population Hispanic or Latino of any race. The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.

  • Boonville
  • Boonville (formerly, The Corners and Kendall's City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States It is located 12.5 miles (20 km) southwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 381 feet (116 m). The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census. Boonville was founded by John Burgots in 1862. The place was originally called The Corners. Burgots built a hotel, and in 1864 Alonzo Kendall built another hotel. The town became known as Kendall's City. W.W. Boone bought a store in town and gave the place its current name. The first post office opened in 1875, having been transferred from Anderson.

    Boonville is in the Anderson Valley, 115 miles (185 km) north of San Francisco. Boonville is best known as the source of the Boontling folk language. Bottles from the local Anderson Valley Brewing Company are labeled with the motto "Bahl Hornin'" which means "It's good drinkin'" in Boontling.

    An Alsatian Varietals wine festival is held at the fairgrounds each February. In early spring (April or May), the annual Legendary Boonville Beer Festival is held at the fairgrounds, featuring beers from about 50 craft breweries. A Pinot Noir Festival is held in May. In July, the Wool-growers' Barbecue and Sheepdog Trials is held at the fairgrounds. Boonville hosts the annual Mendocino County Fair in September. Boonville also hosts the long-running Sierra Nevada World Music Festival every summer solstice weekend in June.


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